Roll Call: Week of July 8

How N.C. members of Congress voted

Published: Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 12, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.

Here’s how North Carolina members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending July 12.

House

FARM BILL, FOOD STAMPS: Voting 216 for and 208 against, the House on July 11 passed a farm bill (HR 2642) that would end Congress’s 40-year policy of including agriculture and nutrition programs in a single law to garner support from both rural and urban lawmakers. The vote sent the bill to a House-Senate conference committee. The bill is projected to cost $20 billion annually for programs to protect farmers’ income, subsidize crop insurance, boost exports, expand domestic markets, promote land conservation and fund rural development. The bill also would effectively end the required renewal every five years of all U.S. farm programs, thus allowing some programs to become permanent.

This vote left behind, for later consideration, a reauthorization of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, and other nutrition programs. These food-security programs were projected to cost abut $74 billion annually in a farm bill that met defeat in the House last month.

G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., said: “It is no secret that the Republican Tea Party has a national agenda that is playing out right here in this chamber today. You are attempting to defund food stamps … and place poor people … in a position that none of you would want to be in.”

FOOD-SAFETY INSPECTIONS: Voting 198 for and 226 against, the House on July 11 defeated a bid by Democrats to require the Department of Agriculture to conduct annual food-safety inspections in countries that export egg products, meat and poultry to the U.S. Those overseas audits are now conducted every three years. The motion to HR 2642 (above) also sought to increase the budget of the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service for responding to outbreaks of illness in the U.S.

2014 ENERGY, WATER BUDGET: Voting 227 for and 198 against, the House on July 10 passed a bill (HR 2609) that would appropriate $30.4 billion for energy, water and nuclear-safety programs in fiscal 2014. The figure is nearly 9 percent below the 2013 level, mainly as a result of automatic spending cuts in the sequester. The bill provides $11.3 billion for National Nuclear Safety Administration, including $7.6 billion for modernizing the U.S. nuclear stockpile; $5.5 billion for environmental clean-up at sites contaminated by radiation; $4.9 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; $4.7 billion for conducting basic science; $983 million for renewable-energy and energy-efficiency programs; $430 million for fossil-fuel research; $123 million to fund the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and $25 million to advance a nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

ENERGY-INDUSTRY SUBSIDIES: Voting 115 for and 300 against, the House on July 9 refused to remove $1.54 billion in taxpayer subsidies of the nuclear-energy, fossil-fuels and renewable-energy industries from HR 2609 (above).

NUCLEAR WEAPONS v. PUBLIC WORKS: Voting 170 for and 253 against, the House on July 10 defeated an amendment to transfer $100 million in HR 2609 (above) from the budget for modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal to public works construction. The amendment sought to shift funds from the National Nuclear Safety Administration, which receives $11.3 billion in the bill, to the Army Corps of Engineers, which is budgeted at $4.9 billion.

Senate

STUDENT-LOAN INTEREST RATES: Voting 51 for and 49 against, the Senate on July 10 failed to reach 60 votes needed to overcome a bipartisan filibuster of a Democratic bill (S 1238) that would reinstate for one year a 3.4 percent interest rate on Stafford undergraduate loans. That rate doubled to 6.8 percent on July 1 amid congressional gridlock over this issue. The Senate is now considering a compromise plan to set variable but capped interest rates — linked to yields on 10-year Treasury notes — for Stafford loans and other higher-education loans.

A yes vote was to reinstate a 3.4 percent student-loan rate for one year.

Voting yes: Democrat Kay Hagan

Voting no: Republican Richard Burr

A look ahead

In the week of July 15, the House will take up a repeal the employer and individual mandates in the 2010 health law and a bill to reduce the federal role in K-12 education. The Senate will hold confirmation votes on several Obama administration nominees and could vote to limit filibuster rights.

<p>Here's how North Carolina members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending July 12.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><h3>House</h3>
<p>FARM BILL, FOOD STAMPS: Voting 216 for and 208 against, the House on July 11 passed a farm bill (HR 2642) that would end Congress's 40-year policy of including agriculture and nutrition programs in a single law to garner support from both rural and urban lawmakers. The vote sent the bill to a House-Senate conference committee. The bill is projected to cost $20 billion annually for programs to protect farmers' income, subsidize crop insurance, boost exports, expand domestic markets, promote land conservation and fund rural development. The bill also would effectively end the required renewal every five years of all U.S. farm programs, thus allowing some programs to become permanent.</p><p>This vote left behind, for later consideration, a reauthorization of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, and other nutrition programs. These food-security programs were projected to cost abut $74 billion annually in a farm bill that met defeat in the House last month.</p><p>G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., said: “It is no secret that the Republican Tea Party has a national agenda that is playing out right here in this chamber today. You are attempting to defund food stamps … and place poor people … in a position that none of you would want to be in.”</p><p>A yes vote was to pass the bill. </p><p>Voting yes: Republicans Renee Ellmers, Virginia Foxx, Howard Coble, Richard Hudson, Robert Pittenger, Patrick McHenry, Mark Meadows, George Holding</p><p>Voting no: Democrats G.K. Butterfield, David Price, Mike McIntyre and Melvin Watt and Republican Walter Jones</p><p>FOOD-SAFETY INSPECTIONS: Voting 198 for and 226 against, the House on July 11 defeated a bid by Democrats to require the Department of Agriculture to conduct annual food-safety inspections in countries that export egg products, meat and poultry to the U.S. Those overseas audits are now conducted every three years. The motion to HR 2642 (above) also sought to increase the budget of the department's Food Safety and Inspection Service for responding to outbreaks of illness in the U.S.</p><p>A yes vote was to increase U.S. food inspections overseas.</p><p>Voting yes: Butterfield, Jones, Price, McIntyre, Watt</p><p>Voting no: Ellmers, Foxx, Coble, Hudson, Pittenger, McHenry, Meadows, Holding</p><p>2014 ENERGY, WATER BUDGET: Voting 227 for and 198 against, the House on July 10 passed a bill (HR 2609) that would appropriate $30.4 billion for energy, water and nuclear-safety programs in fiscal 2014. The figure is nearly 9 percent below the 2013 level, mainly as a result of automatic spending cuts in the sequester. The bill provides $11.3 billion for National Nuclear Safety Administration, including $7.6 billion for modernizing the U.S. nuclear stockpile; $5.5 billion for environmental clean-up at sites contaminated by radiation; $4.9 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; $4.7 billion for conducting basic science; $983 million for renewable-energy and energy-efficiency programs; $430 million for fossil-fuel research; $123 million to fund the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and $25 million to advance a nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.</p><p>A yes vote was to pass the bill.</p><p>Voting yes: Ellmers, Foxx, Coble, Hudson, Pittenger, McHenry, Meadows, Holding</p><p>Voting no: Butterfield, Jones, Price, McIntyre, Watt</p><p>ENERGY-INDUSTRY SUBSIDIES: Voting 115 for and 300 against, the House on July 9 refused to remove $1.54 billion in taxpayer subsidies of the nuclear-energy, fossil-fuels and renewable-energy industries from HR 2609 (above).</p><p>A yes vote backed the amendment.</p><p>Voting yes: Jones, Foxx, Coble, Hudson, Pittenger, McHenry, Meadows, Holding</p><p>Voting no: Butterfield, Ellmers, Price, McIntyre, Watt</p><p>NUCLEAR WEAPONS v. PUBLIC WORKS: Voting 170 for and 253 against, the House on July 10 defeated an amendment to transfer $100 million in HR 2609 (above) from the budget for modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal to public works construction. The amendment sought to shift funds from the National Nuclear Safety Administration, which receives $11.3 billion in the bill, to the Army Corps of Engineers, which is budgeted at $4.9 billion.</p><p>A yes vote backed the funds transfer.</p><p>Voting yes: Butterfield, Jones Price, McIntyre, Watt</p><p>Voting no: Ellmers, Foxx, Coble, Hudson, Pittenger, McHenry, Meadows, Holding</p><h3>Senate</h3>
<p>STUDENT-LOAN INTEREST RATES: Voting 51 for and 49 against, the Senate on July 10 failed to reach 60 votes needed to overcome a bipartisan filibuster of a Democratic bill (S 1238) that would reinstate for one year a 3.4 percent interest rate on Stafford undergraduate loans. That rate doubled to 6.8 percent on July 1 amid congressional gridlock over this issue. The Senate is now considering a compromise plan to set variable but capped interest rates — linked to yields on 10-year Treasury notes — for Stafford loans and other higher-education loans.</p><p>A yes vote was to reinstate a 3.4 percent student-loan rate for one year.</p><p>Voting yes: Democrat Kay Hagan</p><p>Voting no: Republican Richard Burr</p><h3>A look ahead</h3>
<p>In the week of July 15, the House will take up a repeal the employer and individual mandates in the 2010 health law and a bill to reduce the federal role in K-12 education. The Senate will hold confirmation votes on several Obama administration nominees and could vote to limit filibuster rights.</p>